In His Arms
by Bunny1
Summary: Tasha realizes that keeping Lux's secrets is hurting more than helping, leading Baze to a realization himself... Oneshot, complete.


Tasha fussed with her curls. She didn't _want_ to call Baze and Cate together at the house while Ryan was at work. She didn't... she just... she needed to do this. _For_ Lux...

"Look, Lux... I love her, very much." Tasha said with a sigh. "She's fam, y'know?"

Baze nodded. "Uh-huh, we know, Tash. What's _wrong_?" he demanded, worry clawing at his chest with icy fingers.

"Okay... Lux won't tell you what happened with Valerie. I think I should." she said, biting her lower lip. "It needs to be told... Valerie's husband... wasn't a good guy." she said quietly, tugging on her hair and looking at her knees. "he... he touched her... sometimes..."

Baze's hand clenched into a fist, and Cate started blinking furiously.

"Oh, there's more..." Tasha sighed. "Much more... he threw her down a flight of stairs... he punched her hard enough in the chest that she had a seizure and her clavicle was broken in three places." Tasha sighed. "Sometimes... it feels like being her secret keeper was hurting her more than helping. But, she couldn't get the words out to you- she hadn't even told me; I just found out... because..."

Baze ran a hand through his thick hair, pacing.

"It's all my fault..." Cate sniffled. "I gave her up, and she got sent to _monsters_..." she sobbed, a hand going to her mouth.

"Cate, it isn't about _you_ right now, it's about _Lux_!" Baze yelled, and smashed his fist through a wall.

Cate blinked, shocked, and her face crumpled, and Baze looked instantly contrite. "I... I'm sorry... it's just... this is a lot..." he sighed, and patted her hair with a shaking hand.

"There's more." Tasha said quietly.

"More?" Cate asked, horrified.

"Okay... um... she's kind of banging Mr. Daniels, the English TA. At my apartment. Like... now."

Baze's eyebrows went way past his hairline, and something in his eyes snapped as he stomped out of Cate and Ryan's house.

Tasha hugged herself. "I... I'm sorry. I was only trying to-"

"No, no, Tash; you did the right thing." Cate said. "But we have to get to your apartment before he does." Cate said, leading the girl out...

* * *

When Cate and Tasha ran into her apartment, they could hear Lux screaming and lots of crashing.

"Baze! Stop it!"

"Go get dressed!" he was yelling at Lux, who was in her bra and panties. "I'm going to kill this son of a bitch!"

Nick, meanwhile, was standing, nude, holding his hands up pleadingly. "Look, I was wrong, I know it..."

"Oh, you're _gonna _know it, asshole!" Baze yelled, leaping for him again.

Lux sat down, crying. "Please..."

But, Cate blocked Baze's attack and glared at Nick. "You'd better run, and I wouldn't stop to grab clothes. Just go... and don't be expecting your job to be there Monday morning, you disgusting pig!"

Nick looked like he might argue, but Cate glared.

"Go, idiot! She can't hold him back much longer!" Tasha yelled.

And Nick, totally nude, ran out of the apartment and out into the street...

Cate, hands still on Baze's chest, looked at him. "You need to take care of_ Lux _right now!" she yelled.

And, instantly he stopped struggling, and dropped beside his daughter, who was in a crying heap, and gathered her into his arms. "Oh, babe..." he sighed.

"I love him..." she sobbed, but still clutched tightly to Baze's shirt with both hands.

"I know, darlin', I know..." he sighed, dropping his chin on top of her head. "But... this... can't happen."

Lux looked at him accusingly.

"You hid it for a_ reason_, Lux, you know that. If it was 'okay', you wouldn't have had to."

"And, Lux... about the other night at the dance... I am so, so sorry..." Cate said, dropping next to her too, but with much more hesitation than Baze had shown, almost as if she were afraid the hand she was putting on her daughter's back would get slapped away. It didn't.

"No, Cate, I-"

"Let me finish. I found out the truth about Valerie and her husband... the _whole_ truth... and that's my fault all the way around. I'm just... I'm sorry..."

"Cate-"

"No wonder you hate me..."

"I don't hate you..." Lux sighed, her head snuggled into Baze's neck by now. "I mean, yeah, sometimes I hold some resentments, but, I still love you, honestly."

"I love you too, I really do..."

Lux nodded.

"I know..." she said, allowing Cate to come into the snuggle that her and her dad shared, and the three of them hugged.

Tasha backed away, walking out to allow them their moment. Cate and Baze shared a glance over their daughter's head, and, just for that moment... they were a real family again, like in the beginning, like they should have been all along. And, Baze realized that he was only substituting with Emma, his new job that was making him different... that all he wanted in the entire world- all he had _ever_ wanted, was right there in his arms... and he did not want to let go again...


End file.
